Contact: Beth Stone- (508) 584-8120
BROCKTON – Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz’s Office has been chosen to represent Massachusetts in vying for a $450,000 federal grant to aid in reducing violent gang, gun and drug activity in the area.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, along with the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Steering Committee and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) chose the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office to be the project partner for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2016 PSN grant application. PSN is designed to create safer neighborhoods through a sustained reduction in crime associated with gang and gun violence. The program is based on the cooperation of local, state, and federal agencies working together.
“This is an extremely competitive process and we are honored to be in the running,” DA Cruz said. “Securing this grant money would help Plymouth County gain additional tools and resources to combat street violence in our communities. I am hopeful that 2016 will be a year marked with improvement, not marred by more tragedies.”
As the selected project partner, the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office will now work with the Massachusetts United States Attorney’s Office and EOPSS to submit a complete federal grant application package that is due in May. Only approximately 12 grants are expected to be awarded nationwide and federal awards will be made and announced in September, 2016.
Last June, DA Cruz formed Operation Safe Streets, a law enforcement task force comprised of state, federal and law enforcement agencies to target gun, drug and violent crime. The task force mirrored a PSN model where federal funds were used to assist local law enforcement in implementing programs to fight crime and help improve data sharing and community training.
The Operation Safe Streets Task Force has continued to meet regularly and allows for the community to speak directly to law enforcement leaders and keep open regular lines of communication between citizens and law enforcement.The task force is next scheduled to gather on Tuesday, March 15 at 7 p.m. at the Arnone School in Brockton.
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